Web callbook interface for amateur radio logging systems

ABSTRACT

User enters an amateur radio callsign for which he wishes to retrieve the license holder&#39;s name, address, and other information such as latitude and longitude of his station, license class, license expiration date, and birthdate. He may enter this in a designated field in the search form callsign field ( 31 ), or in another program, such as a logging program ( 38 ). A software process searches for the specified callsign on one or more World Wide Web databases. Said process converts the information that is normally displayed in a web browser to a common record format so that the data may displayed in a consistent format ( 29 ), and be added to logging databases ( 39 ) or used to print mailing labels, envelopes, or post cards ( 40 ).  
     Since there is no single comprehensive database containing all amateur radio operators in the world, multiple World Wide Web databases may be searched in order to find the desired callsign and gather all possible information about the specified station. The user may select which databases are searched ( 23 ) and the order in which they are searched ( 20 ).  
     Many web callbook databases, such as the Federal Communications database, contain information for one political entity only ( 25 ). The Web Callbook Interface System determines the country that issued the callsign (using commonly-known methods involving lookup tables of callsign prefixes), and bypasses search of single-country databases that do not correspond to the callsign.  
     Web databases may be marked as “comprehensive” by the user ( 24 ). These comprehensive databases are assumed to be complete for the political entity in question. If a callsign is not found in a comprehensive database for a country corresponding to the said callsign, we know that the requested callsign was entered incorrectly and no such station exists. The process stops. It does not search any additional databases.  
     Revenue of commercial sites displaying advertising is preserved by displaying the site contents in a window ( 30 ). This display is presented on top of all other windows on the screen. The user must select another window or click a button ( 36 ) to continue using the program.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

[0002] 1. Field of Invention

[0003] This invention relates to collecting information from variousWorld Wide Web-based radio amateur callbook database and inserting intoan amateur radio station logbook.

[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0005] Since its beginnings in the early 1900s, amateur radio operatorshave exchanged post cards, known in the amateur radio community as QSLcards, as proof of contacting each other. At first, when long distancecommunications were difficult, proof of the contact was desired to provethat an unlikely contact actually happened. Global communications soonbecame commonplace. However, QSLs are still desired to show proof oflong-distance communications on bands where local communication is thenorm, proof of some achievement such as contacting all states or onehundred countries, or simply as attractive mementos from far-away andexotic places.

[0006] In order to facilitate exchange of QSL cards, printed “Callbooks”which contain an alphabetical list of call signs with the names andaddresses of amateur operators became available about 1920. With theadvent of CD-ROM and personal computer technology, Sears-catalog-sizedbooks were replaced with CD-ROMs. Besides economy, CD-ROMs could beinterfaced to the computer so that information can be loggedautomatically by a computerized logbook. My product, LOGic, was one ofthe first programs to support this technology.

[0007] Currently, there are a number of web sites that have amateurcallbook info, including the Federal Communications Commission, othergovernments and national radio clubs, as well as commercial enterprisesthat combine several countries into one database and profit bydisplaying advertisements on their web sites to users of their sites.

[0008] However, there is no single comprehensive worldwide callbookdatabase on the web or elsewhere. A means of seamlessly searchingseveral databases with one search request is desirable.

SUMMARY

[0009] A web callbook interface system, comprising of a process tosearch multiple sites to locate the desired callsign, a module todisplay advertisements from commercial sites, and an interface thatpresents a consistent format of various web sites to the loggingprogram.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0010] Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of papercallbooks, CD-ROM databases, and callbook web systems, several objectsand advantages of my present invention are:

[0011] (a) providing a common interface so that information fromdiffering callbook web site may be read by a logging program using aconsistent method.

[0012] (b) Search multiple sites to find the desired callsign, with usercontrol over which sites are searched, and the order in which they aresearched.

[0013] (c) Display of advertisements from commercial sites to preserverevenue of site owners. If site is not commercial, web site display orthe whole user interface may be hidden to save screen space.

[0014] (d) Batch update of log records that do not contain callbookinformation—imported log data for example.

[0015] (e) Scanning multiple sites that contain the same callsign togather additional data. For instance, suppose we desire the station'scounty and his email address. Not all databases contain all information.We can scan all databases that may contain the requested callsign,collecting the county from one and the email from another.

DRAWING FIGURES

[0016]FIG. 1 shows the control file user interface.

[0017]FIG. 2 shows the web callbook search module displaying an FCCsearch.

[0018]FIG. 3 shows a typical ham radio logging program and howinformation retrieved from a callbook database is used.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

[0019]20 Slider to change order of control records.

[0020]21 Control file display area.

[0021]22 Description.

[0022]23 Control to disable site.

[0023]24 Control to mark site as comprehensive.

[0024]25 Display of which political entity the database serves.

[0025]26 Indicates a commercial site that has advertisements.

[0026]27 Display of URL.

[0027]28 Search form.

[0028]29 Formatted results display area.

[0029]30 Web page display area.

[0030]31 Callsign to search for.

[0031]32 Manual selection of database to search.

[0032]33 Display web page in normal browser.

[0033]34 Displays which database the results were found in.

[0034]35 Control to hide web display (only if no advertisement).

[0035]36 Sets display to preferred state after viewing ad.

[0036]37 Opens control file setup window (FIG. 1).

[0037]38 Logging program input/output form.

[0038]39 Name, City, and State captured from web callbook interface andstored in logging program.

[0039]40 Complete name and address captured from web callbook interface,formatted for printing labels, envelopes, or post cards.

DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1 through 3

[0040]FIG. 1 shows the control file data (21) and user interface screen.Here, the user may select which databases to search (23), the order inwhich to search them (20), and whether or not the database is to beconsidered comprehensive for the political entity it serves (24). If acallsign is not found on a comprehensive database, the callsign ispresumed not to exist and searching is terminated.

[0041] Also displayed is a description of the database (22), whether ornot the site has advertisements (26), and the URL of the database (27).

[0042]FIG. 2 shows the search form. Entering a call in the input area(31) starts a search. Sites are searched until the desired informationis found. When all information has been gathered, it is displayed in thedisplay area (30).

[0043] The user may hide the web display area by clicking on the control(35) or may hide the window completely. If a site with an advertisementis scanned, the window and web display area is opened brought to the topoff all other windows if any, regardless of the control setting (35).When an ad is displayed, the user may click the control (36) to returnthe window and web display area to the desired state (hidden, or webdisplay area hidden).

[0044] If the user wishes to see the web site in a normal browser, hemay click the browser button (33).

[0045] To open the control file user interface form, click the setu[button (37).

[0046]FIG. 3 shows a popular ham radio logging program. By logging acallsign, a web callbook database search is initiated programmaticallyby sending the callsign to search form (28). Upon completion of asearch, the retrieved data may be automatically logged in the log screen(39) or used to print mailing labels, envelopes, or post cards (40).

PROGRAMMING LOGIC

[0047] Following are detailed programming specifications for thesoftware.

[0048] 1) Create an object that, when given a callsign, navigates to theweb site that displays information for said callsign.

[0049] a) Include properties for data elements that you desire to log,including name, address, license class, etc.

[0050] b) Subclass said module for each web site you wish to interfaceto. Include code specific to the web site to extract data elements andstore to appropriate properties in said module.

[0051] 2) Control file and control file user interface

[0052] a) Create a file with fields to contain the followinginformation:

[0053] i) A description of the site.

[0054] ii) The URL of the site

[0055] iii) The name of the subclassed module used to decode the data (1b above)

[0056] iv) A disable flag, to disable search of this site.

[0057] v) An order indicator to tell the program in which order to scanthe sites

[0058] vi) A flag to indicate if the site is a commercial site withadvertising displays

[0059] vii) An indication of which political entity if any the site isspecific to

[0060] viii) A flag to indicate if the database is comprehensive forsaid country. For instance, the FCC database contains all US callsigns.If we search it using a US call, and it is not found, we know thecallsign is non-existant.

[0061] ix) A disable flag

[0062] x) A description to contain additional descriptive informationabout the site.

[0063] b) Populate the fields

[0064] c) Create a user interface form that displays the above fields,and allows the user to change order and disable and comprehensivestatus.

[0065] 3) Create a search form to search web site and display data

[0066] a) Include a display field for each data element property.

[0067] b) Include a window to display the web page with the callbookdata and any advertisements on the page. Provide controls to open theweb page in a normal web browser.

[0068] c) Include controls to hide the entire window or the web displayportion.

[0069] d) Include controls to manually select a specific site to search.

[0070] e) provide search logic:

[0071] i) Analyze the callsign to determine what political entity itbelongs to.

[0072] ii) Scan the control file from the lowest order to the highest.Skip disabled records.

[0073] iii) If the site is for the political entity of the callsign, orif the site is not specific to a particular entity, search it. If allinformation has been found, proceed to next step. If unsuccessful:

[0074] (1) If this database is marked as comprehensive, discontinue scanand report that the callsign does not exist.

[0075] (2) If the database is not marked as comprehensive, continuescan.

[0076] iv) If the information has been collected, notify the loggingprogram so it may consume the collected data. If the site is commercial,display the advertisement and move the window to the top of all otherwindows. If the site is not commercial, set the hidden state of the userinterface or the web display to the desired state.

I claim:
 1. A machine for formatting amateur radio callbook informationfrom a world wide web database display that is intended to be viewed ina web browser, into a consistent record format, comprising: a. Acharacter input means which a human operator can use to store an amateurradio callsign in memory. b. A means for transmitting the amateur radiocallsign over the world wide web to a earchable callbook database. c. Aweb display device for optionally displaying results from saidtransmission of radio amateur callsign. d. A memory to contain theresults of said transmission of amateur radio callsign. e. A means ofanalyzing said memory containing results to determine if the callsignwas found. f. A means for analyzing said memory containing results toextract elements such as name, address, etc. g. A record structure inmemory to store said extracted elements. whereby allowing said data tobe used for automatic lookup from an ham radio logging program, withoutentering data into a web browser. whereby allowing inserting retrieveddata into a logging database or printing mailing labels, envelopes, orpost cards.
 2. The web display device in claim 1 incorporates a means toforce display of web page results from sites that are commercial wherebythe advertising revenue for the operators of said sites is preserved. 3.The machine in claim 1 incorporates a means of searching a plurality ofweb callbook database sites, said means comprising: a. A means ofdetermining the political entity to which the callsign entered by theuser corresponds, and searching only relevant databases. b. A storedcontrol file of world wide web callbook databases sites to be searched,comprising: (1) Web address. (2) Political entity if any to which thecallbook database site serves. (3) An indicator of comprehensivenessthat indicates whether or not site has a complete listing of allcallsigns for the political entity, if any, that it serves, signifyingthat the callsign does not exist, and terminating search of additionaldatabases. d. For each entry in said stored list of web callbookdatabase sites, a user-modifiable bypass flag causing search of saidsite to be bypassed. e. For each entry in said stored list of webcallbook database sites, a user-modifiable sequence indicator todetermine the order in which said plurality of databases are searched.whereby greatly increasing the chances of locating desired data withoutmanually initiating multiple searches.